EDP completes installation of two community solar energy projects in New York State
Energy from the Morgan East and Morgan West projects will be shared with three companies with a local presence and hundreds of families and small businesses. The projects have a total capacity of 13 MWp and were developed near Syracuse, in the US state of New York.
EDP has initiated the operation of two decentralised solar energy projects in the United States, in the state of New York, with a total capacity of 13 MWp (9.5 MWac). The Morgan East and Morgan West parks, located near Syracuse, are classified as community solar energy projects, as the electricity generated in these locations will be sold by EDP Renewables North America Distributed Generation to companies with a local presence and to hundreds of families and small businesses in New York state.
The US Government defines Community Solar as "any solar project or purchasing program, within a geographic area, in which the benefits flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and other groups". As in the majority of cases, in this EDP project customers benefit from the energy generated by solar panels that are installed apart from their homes or businesses. These customers are subscribers to part of the energy generated by the solar park, while they also receive a credit providing a discount on their electricity bill for the electricity their portion of the project generates.
In this way, community solar projects provide a series of benefits to the communities where they are installed. Community solar energy reduces electricity costs, reduces carbon emissions, increases resilience to energy volatility, and strengthens the local electricity grid by diversifying the available energy sources, with installations close to points of consumption.
For EDP, investing in community solar energy projects is one of the strategic pillars of the company's investment in decentralised solar generation, enabling families and companies without the space or technical conditions to install solar panels to access renewable energy.
Developed by EDP Renewables NA Distributed Generation, the decentralised solar energy company for North America in the EDP group, the Morgan East park has a capacity of 4.5 MWac. One of the main beneficiaries of the energy produced is PaperWorks Industries, an American company specialised in packaging and paper. The Morgan West project capacity is 5 MWac. It will produce power for QubicaAMF Worldwide, LLC and Sabin Metal Corporation, among others. Both parks will also supply electricity to other customers in upstate New York, with 60% of total production directed to residential and small business subscribers.
"We are excited to expand our community solar portfolio in New York state, through invaluable partnerships with One Paper Works, QubicaAMF and Sabin Metal Corporation, while providing affordable solar access to residential and small commercial customers. Through community solar energy, we are increasing access to clean and reliable energy in new communities and contributing to the decarbonization goals of New York State," said João Barreto, CEO of EDPR NA Distributed Generation
Both projects support the local economy of the cities of Clay and Syracuse by providing clean and reliable energy to the industrial facilities and households served by the local electricity distribution company. These projects enable those communities to access renewable energy solutions and support the state's climate commitments to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
In 2021, EDP became the first developer to launch a community solar energy facility with storage in New York state, which serves to provide clean electricity to low- to moderate-income households in that state.
With 41 companies and 5,000 residential customers involved to date through community solar programmes, EDPR NA DG currently owns and operates 30 MW of community solar projects, with a further 15 MW under construction, spanning the states of Maine, Massachusetts and New York in the United States.
EDPR NA DG continues to be one of the leading players in distributed generation in the US, owning and operating over 274 MWac of solar and storage assets across around 540 projects in 24 states, with a total of 251 tonnes of CO2 emissions avoided to date through clean energy production.